For our German Oktoberfest celebration I wanted chewy, soft Bavarian pretzels. Not surprisingly, no bakery in the Valley carries such a thing (you’re shocked, I know). What a great excuse to bake pretzels from scratch.

Truth be told, I’ve never made soft pretzels that included the ‘boiling’ step. What I had read convinced me that this is a necessary step for a better finished product. Now by first hand experience I’m all the more convinced.

My husband Ken and I have long enjoyed Munich as a place to relax, to eat good food and drink exceptionally good beer. This year after leaving Florence, thirsty for a tall Augustiner Edelstoff and wanting to show the kids the amazing Deutsches Museum, we spent several days in Munich. During the time there both kids discovered a love for Weiner Schnitzel.

The warm savory cabbage comes through my family of origin as a German food – probably inspired by the peasants for whom simple meals of winter crops that would last through extended cold snaps was the norm.

My grandmother was an amazing baker and commonly had cookies for us to enjoy. These thumb print cookies were among the variety that she regularly made. I can remember her opening wax paper lined greeting card boxes (she sent many, many greeting cards throughout the year) to reveal these little gems. I must admit however, that I didn’t eat them until I was a “grown-up”; it was the jelly that didn’t appeal to me. However… as an adult their buttery cookie and sweet center are a delight.

One of Ken's favorite dinner's is a German favorite, Roladen. As a little girl I remember both my Mom and my Grandma making it. When we were last in Munich, we ate delicious roladen and since that trip it's become a fairly regular part of our menus. Not long ago I brought more meat home that I had planned to make for roladen for that night's dinner so I decided to give freezing whole roladens a try. While I don't generally enjoy frozen meat they were delicious -- the secret I think was long and low. I put them in the crock pot with a little beef stock and ta dah!